Parafia jako przedmiot zainteresowania geografii - doświadczenia łódzkie

The Parish as an object of geographic interest - case of Łódź

Summary: Since the times of Immanuel Kant, geography has been perceived as a chorological science. A parish is a good example of a very unique region. This subject has been undertaken rather rarely by Polish geographers. The first purpose of this paper is to describe an example of a geographic study of parishes. The second purpose is to analyze the structure of the Catholic Church in the city of Łódź. A parish is understood to be a place with people and a part of a certain situation. This is why a variety of research methods may be used including paper-based surveys, interviews, analysis of maps, and fieldwork. The city of Łódź is rather unique in that it was founded in the 15th century as a village and only became a city in the mid-19th century. In its early years, the city was a cultural melting pot. Łódź became a typical Polish Catholic city following World War II. It is also one of the least religious cities in Poland. Lodz is very specific town. The level of religiosity is here the lowest and for years the development of Church's administrative structure has never fitted into real spatial and social needs. Today there are 65 parishes in Łódź. Their sizes (area and population) vary a lot. Most of the churches are easily accessible by town dwellers. Unfortunately territorial coherence does not mean social coherence and today parishes cannot be treated as communities as they are in civic society.

Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 2011, z. 22, s. 233-250.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

ISSN 1425-1922

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